Connecting the Dots (Shane Madej x OC)

31- Eastern State Penitentiary

We land in Pennsylvania the next afternoon, giving us enough time to quickly drop off our stuff at the hotel and then start the drive to Eastern State Penitentiary. We're going to be filming the backstory for this episode back at the desk at Buzzfeed rather than on location, just to streamline the shoot. 

The weather is definitely adding to the atmosphere as we pull up in front of the looming penitentiary. The sky is a hazy yellow and blue, as the sun begins to set behind a thick layer of storm clouds. Inside the penitentiary light filters through the dusty windows and casts the hallways in a sickly teal shade. It's haunting, to say the least, and Ryan is already not having it. 

"Back in the day, this prison used to be... quite the horrible place," He says, looking around. 
"Think we're gonna die here tonight?" Shane asks casually. 

"Well I mean, look at it! Visually... it's a- it's a bit much," Ryan responds. 

"It's striking, very spacious," Shane doesn't seem phased in the slightest. 

"Horrifying, chilling uh, just overall not good is how I would describe it, but you know..."

"I hear bats," Shane looks up towards the rafters and the cells on the second floor, 

"Cool," Ryan says sounding just thrilled, "Should we just get this over with?"

"I think so," Shane nods, and we start the investigation. 

We walk through Cell Block 1 first, peaking inside the solitary containment cells. Naturally, Shane decides to lock Ryan in one of the cells for two minutes, which he agrees to with only some protesting. Once Ryan's time is up Shane gets locked in alone. Ryan and I are standing outside the cell with TJ and Devon waiting for Shane's time to be up when the distinct sound of footsteps travels down the hall. Ryan turns and shines his flashlight in the direction of the sound. 

"Is somebody down here?" He asks. I figure it's nothing, but Ryan of course, does not shrug it off so easily. He starts further down the hall, while I stay by the door waiting to open it for Shane. I hear Ryan freak out a little bit as he walks further and further, and shake my head. The timer goes off quietly and I pull the door open, Shane steps out, ducking his head to avoid the door frame and furrowing his eyebrows when he sees Ryan all the way down the hall. He looks at me and I just shrug, he smiles and shakes his head and then turns back to Ryan. 

"What are you doing!?" He calls after him, and we all start walking to catch up with Ryan. 

"Shh, I don't know, there's something creaking down here," Ryan replies, shining his light all around the hall. "It sounds like somebody trying to get out of the cell," he says and continues talking, either to himself or the ghost. 
"It's probably a raccoon," Shane says, catching up with Ryan and walking beside him. 
"There was wood creaking down here... Down here is actually where the more period-accurate cells were, you can actually see the feeding holes," Ryan explains, shining his flashlight over the cell doors. "Where are you? We just wanna see you, I'm not gonna freak out!" He calls out the ghosts again. There's a quiet banging nearby, so discernable that even Shane reacts. 

"Oh shit," He says, still not sounding very worried. 

" Was that?..." Ryan looks around, "Stop.... Was that you?" He calls out and then turns to Shane, "You heard that right?" He asks. Shane nods, 

"I heard it," he replies calmly. They start messing around with some of the doors and looking into open cells. 

"Dude this place is..." Ryan looks around, there is a louder banging further down the hall in the direction we had come from, "Ah Jesus I just got chills!" Ryan says. I have to admit the sounds are strange and hard to explain, but I know there's probably a more logical explanation than "ghosts".